This was written by Don Ecker in the summer of 1990 for UFO Magazine, in which it appeared

This was written by Don Ecker in the summer of 1990 for UFO Magazine,
in which it appeared as part of a series.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
As many of you know, UFO Magazine completed a story and investigation
on Milton Wm. Cooper in Vol. 5, No. 4 and 5. Cooper, a very
controversial figure in the UFO field, has been making claims and
pronouncments for the last several years. We spoke to many that know
him, and for you folks that are new here at ParaNet, Cooper made his
debut right here. At that time ( in 1988 ) he was "made" as a fraud by
the former Administrator Jim Speiser, and was removed from the system.
I have just received a copy of "NEW TIMES" NEXUS, a magazine that is
published in Australia. The issue is Volume 2 Issue 1 dated October
1990. In this magazine is a story by Cooper with his "Operation
Majority". Now during the UFO Magazine investigation, we found most of
this to be fabricated or information that Cooper plagerized. However it
is a fact of life that not everyone reads UFO, and Cooper is public in
every area he can attain to. So I am going to place the entire Two part
story right here for all of ParaNet to read.
One other thing, I am also going to include a couple of things that
did not reach publication, because of space, and also the fact that at
the time we did not wish to "crucify" Cooper. However, to paraphrase
George Knapp, News Director of KLAS TV in Las Vegas, "Cooper is like a
cornered rat, desperate, vicious and vile." He has "smeared, lied,
threatened, and libled everyone that has disagreed with him. With that,
here is "Whistleblowers Part ONE. All Rights Reserved UFO Magazine.
---ooo---
Who are the UFO whistleblowers? They come out of relative obscurity
and burst into the center of ufological attention. Making incredible
claims of alien activity on earth and the Government's deep but covert
involvement. Without exception, the whistleblowers of recent times only
furnish the most hazy evidence of their claims, if that.
Oftentimes they will also lay claim to having worked with or for the
government, in high enough positions to wield security clearances and
to have observed the most unequivocal documentation.
Because these individuals fail to furnish proof for their startling
claims, and because many people have asked UFO Magazine for a readout
on their credibility, we are beginning a series of investigative
articles on certain individuals who fall into the "Whistleblower"
category. Normally, UFO avoids focusing on personalities, preferring to
concentrate on the phenomenon itself.
But these personalities force us to make an exception. Their material
has appeal and sensation value. But is it legitimate? Who are the
whistleblowers who are telling the truth? Who are the ruthless Pied
Pipers forging a trail of lies and deception? Our series begins with
Milton William Cooper.
COOPER
In the last several years, few have stirred the field of ufology like
Milton William Cooper. Cooper, born May 6, 1943, is a balding 47-year-
old man who has enthralled thousands with lurid tales of dangerous UFOs
and secret government treaties allowing the alien menace to abduct and
experiment on unwilling human victims in exchange for advanced alien
technology.
Raining threats and pronouncements over the UFO field like a
continuously firing shotgun, Cooper has recently leveled charges of
government spookery against a number of prominent ufologists in the
field, in many cases claiming to have seen their names on a government
recruitment list back in 1972 and 1973 while he was purportedly serving
in Naval Intelligence in CINCPACFLT (Commander in Chief, Pacific
Fleet).
Not above accusing former friends and associates, Cooper has charged
various ufologists with illegal acts, moral turpitude and of purveying
disinformation that permeates the field. Now with an agent to book
speaking engagements at any and every UFO event possible, Cooper is
very fond of stating to his audiences, "Don't take my word for it, go
out and check the information yourself." UFO Magazine has, and the
following is the result of our investigation.
Paranet debut
Who is M. Wm. "Bill" Cooper, and where did he come from? Cooper's
first public appearance resulted when he uploaded a text on ParaNet,
the international computer data service. The file alleges a fantastic
UFO sighting while Cooper was a crew member of the U.S.S. TIRU, a
United States Naval submarine, in 1966. According to Cooper, the
sighting took place while he was on duty as port lookout.
Claiming that the sub's skipper immediately classified the incident,
Cooper reported that when the submarine reached port, the witnesses
were debriefed by Naval Security.
During this time frame of Cooper's initial appearance on the scene,
John O. Lear, son of William "Bill" Lear of Lear Jet fame, had also
been undergoing ParaNet scrutiny as a result of the release of his
hypothesis concerning an alien threat. Lear's document, released in
December of 1987, had created quite an uproar in its own right. Lear
alleged that the U.S. government had entered into a relationship with a
possible ET intelligence, and in exchange for super technology gave
carte blanche to the ETs to conduct experiments and abductions on
unsuspecting human beings.
Lear also claimed that the ETs, with our government's knowledge, were
mutilating domestic animals such as cattle and sheep, and in some cases
even human victims. Because much of Lear's information was hypothesis,
and little checkable information was forthcoming, many ParaNet members
and others in the UFO community were asking very hard questions. In a
number of instances, Lear's credibility was attacked.
When he again visited the ParaNet system, Cooper allied himself with
Lear, publicizing the claim that because of releasing his UFO infor
mation, he had just been terminated from his $75,000 a year job as the
executive director of a commercial business school.
In October of 1988, Cooper contacted this writer, requesting a favor.
Telling me at that time that "this is dangerous if anyone finds out,"
he asked me to accept the electronic transfer of a file into my
computer, to be sent to Stanton Friedman with the information of who
wanted Friedman to see it. The document included information about
purported government UFO involvement under the terms MAJI, MJ-1, THE
BLUE TEAM, GRUDGE, etc. -and, according to Cooper, various other
alleged secret government projects dealing with the alien presence. I
agreed to send the information to Friedman. (I never heard anymore
about it until later, when Cooper was barred from ParaNet because of
claims of feeding false and fraudulent information.)
I basically forgot about the file to Friedman until Cooper released
additional files with the claim that they were the final release. But
subsequently Cooper was to release several "final" releases.
In one, he claimed, "MJ-12 is the name of the secret control group.
The Jason Society [was set up] to sift through all the evidence,
technology, lies and deception . . ." But later, in another file, he
stated, "MJ-12 cannot be used as a name for the control group as it
would cause confusion in meaning, i.e., is it referring to MJ-12 the
person or MJ-12 the group...?" (Italics added) By this time, I and
others were becoming confused with the various "final releases."
Project 'Luna'
In another public release, Cooper claimed that "Project Luna" was an
alien base on the far side of the moon which had been observed by
various astronauts, but changed the story in one more "Final release,"
stating that it was the code name for an underground base near Dulce,
New Mexico.
In Cooper's later releases are a number of names that were never
mentioned in earlier releases, names such as JOSHUA and O.H. KRLL or
KRLLL, or CRLL, CRLLL, or even KRILL. When it comes to answering
whether these claims will bear up under serious scrutiny, these names
prove to be very important, as later information in this article will
show.
Whistleblowers Part Two
UFO Magazine Vol 5 No 5 by Don Ecker
All rights reserved.
In part one of this series, UFO focused on the background of Milton
Wm. Cooper. Cooper's information raises many questions, especially in
light of its sensationalist nature and the potential harm it may cause
to unsuspecting, gullible innocents.
During the latter part of 1988 and the very first part of 1989,
Cooper's story varied widely from what he is presently disseminating.
In early January 1989, Cooper was interviewed by a California
researcher, Paul Shepherd. An excerpt of this interview follows.
Cooper: "While serving in the United States Navy in 1972, I
participated the intelligence briefing team of the Commander-in Chief
of the United States Pacific Fleet . During this participation on the
intelligence briefing team, I came across a document called the Grudge
Bluebook Report Number 13, and a file called the Majesty File .
classified Above Top Secret with a MAJIC classification, which means
MAJI controlled; MAJIC is the Majestic Agency for Joint Intelligence.
It is the organization that controls all the operations with UFOs and
with an alien race that is present on the Earth." In later interviews,
and especially after he began accusing researcher Bill Moore of being
an agent of the secret government, Cooper began claiming that any file
with the word "Majestic or forms thereof, are a fraud, a lie."
Attempting to check on Cooper's claim of belonging to a permanent
intelligence briefing team while serving in the Navy between 1970 and
1973, which would have allowed him access to some classified documents,
UFO called the United States Navy to determine how the Navy conducts
its briefing teams. UFO spoke to Lt. Commander Ron Morse at the Office
of Information-West.
Lt. Commander Morse stated that the Navy did not have permanent
briefing teams, but would form a temporary one on a need basis.
"Usually if a team is put together, it will last for no more that two
weeks," Morse said.
Many of Cooper's claims have been disputed not only by John Lear and
Bob Lazar, but also by Tony Pelham, former reporter for the Las Vegas
Bullet newspaper. All three men told UFO Magazine that Cooper admitted
early on that he had never been on a briefing team, but had in fact
"taken the documents, copied them and then returned them."
"Cooper told me that while he worked on the graveyard shift, he would
wait for the Lt. JG [Junior grade] to go on a coffee break, and then
somehow get into the classified files," Pelham said. "l asked him if he
broke into the files, but he never answered me.
"Cooper then told would take a number of files,copy them, and then
carry them out in his lunch pail. He said he did this until he got all
the files he needed." Cooper called Pelham in early August. "He asked
me why I had turned away from him. He is really upset about all the
people who are attacking him . he said that if I turned against him, he
will crucify me next." Pelham also reports that when he asked Cooper
about his claim that all his stolen government documents were lost in a
garage fire, Cooper refused to give the date or location of the fire so
Pelham could check the police or fire records, and would give no
explanation for refusing to provide information that would validate his
story.
Other unsubstantiated information from Cooper has apparently
stimulated the fears and concerns of some people who have undergone the
"abduction"experience. East coast researcher Marianne Shenefield, a
nationally-known abductee who works with many abductees, called UFO on
several occasions and expressed her own concern about what she heard
while dealing with abduction victims. She told UFO, "When Bill
Cooper's paper 'The Secret Government' came out, I had abductees all
over the U.S. calling me. Cooper said in his paper, and was claiming in
his lectures, that the government was going to round up abductees and
put them in concentration camps.
"I knew it was going too far when two abductees whom I have worked
with were talking about committing suicide. They were terrified that
the Army was going to come into their homes and take them off to
concentration camps."
Cooper has stated that he doesn't care who his information hurts or
who it helps, but that he will continue to put it out there because
people "deserve the truth."
In his paper "The Secret Government," Cooper falsely claimed that
"Stanton Friedman has told me and many others that years ago he helped
develop a nuclear reactor the size of a basketball, to power an
aircraft. It was clean, turned out hydrogen, and worked like a dream".
UFO called Friedman, a respected nuclear physicist and one of the top
ufologists in the United States. "Cooper's claim is totally
fraudulent," Friedman stated.
"There is no truth to it at all." Friedman expressed bewilderment
when asked why he thought Cooper would make that claim.
THE "Orange"
UFO Magazine was present in the fall of 1989 at a UFO conference
hosted by the UFO Data Research and Intelligence Center, in Modesto,
California. Bill Cooper was one of the speakers, and during the course
of his lecture was asked by a member of the audience if he knew how
many types of aliens were presently on earth. Cooper answered, "There
are four types, and four only. one group (is) very human looking; as a
matter of fact they are starring on television in "Alien Nation," the
Orange. .
According to the casting director of Alien Nation, Irene Kagan, these
remarks of Cooper's are totally false. "I can assure you that all the
'alien' actors on the show are human," she said. "I hired them."
On a recent broadcast of the "Billy Goodman Happening" on KVEG from
Las Vegas, researcher Lars Hansson (see article, p. 17) debated Cooper
on the air and pointed out some of the inconsistencies that Cooper has
espoused. Hansson brought up the fact that at one time Cooper himself
gave Bob Lazar his "stamp of approval." Cooper vehemently denied ever
having endorsed Lazar's authenticity,
UFO has been following the Lazar story since it broke upon the UFO
scene. Cooper's claim that he never gave Lazar his support or claims of
legitimacy is untrue. On November 21, 1989, Bob Lazar was a guest on
the Billy Goodman Happening, and during the audience call-in phase of
the show, Cooper phoned in and said the following over the air: "I'd
like to clear up a couple of misunderstandings here. Number 1, I would
really like to thank Bob Lazar for coming forward. I have been talking
to him for the last year, along with John Lear, we have met in groups
and privately. The man (Lazar) is a wealth of information. I am tickled
pink that he has finally decided to come forward and use his real name,
because it helps all of us. the reason he has gotten into this
predicament is because he is a Patriot. He cares about this country and
that is what made him do this. . ." Goodman then broke in, saying,
"That's beautiful, Bill, an unsolicited testimonial, basically, that's
what it comes down to. "
Then Cooper continued, "First, I'd like to say that I personally, and
also Tony Pelham and also the Channel 8 news staff-George Knapp and
several other people, John Lear-we have all investigated this man's
background thoroughly because we did not want to be sucked into a trap
by the government. And I can tell you that he is who he says he is. He
has worked at Los Alamos. He is a physicist, he is a theoretical
physicist. He has worked at Area S4 in Groom Lake. We have verified all
of this-not just me but several other people, and I have verified it by
two different sources of mine who are in the government. One is at
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories . We are always on the
lookout for somebody trying to trap us and something that we ean be
discredited by. We have to do that [background research] to protect our
own credibility." Cooper has subsequently attacked Lazar with claims
that he knew all along that Lazar was fraudulent. In his CAJI
Newsletter, he now presents a completely different tone than before,
and writes of "Lazar, the so-called physicist who claims to have seen
flying saucers.
This information was not included into the Cooper story, and as
promised, I will now relay it.
Cooper, during his initial exposure in the public, was on the Billy
Goodman Happening over a year ago. One of the people that heard Cooper
was a well known Hollywood entertainment figure, Michael Callan. Callan
was fascinated by the information that Cooper was giving, and ended up
contacting Cooper. Callan, and a close friend of his, Doug Deane,
decided that they would use their entertainment contacts, and
professionally "market" Cooper. Callan and Deane set up a business
called "Need to Know Productions", and sunk money into setting up
Cooper on the "lecture tour".
Callan and Deane videoed Coopers lectures, and gave him the benefit
of their combined knowledge of Hollywood to go out and sell himself.
Setting up Cooper at lectures, and finding an agent for him at
"Spotlight Enterprises", Callan and Deane made a heavy investiment.
Cooper signed a contract with Deane and Callan, and when he saw how
much money he "could" be making, tried to squeeze Callan and Deane out
of their contract. Callan had had suspicions earlier when Cooper spoke
to him about trying to squeeze Stan Barrington (business manager) out,
but then Cooper found out that it would cost him $15,000. Barrington
stayed, but one night, Cooper indulging in his childish temper
tantrums, and drinking heavily, made 10 ( thats TEN ) phone calls to
both Callan and Deane, threatening them with public ruin, death,
property damage, and slander if they did not give him the master copies
of the tapes that they had videoed for him. Both men (Callan and Deane)
ended up phoning the police, and they had Cooper placed on file. Later,
Cooper went to Deanes home, was witnessed by Deanes gardner, and tried
to force his way into Deanes house. Later, when Deane returned home,
found all the tires on his car slashed. It is interesting to note, that
one of Coopers threats to Deane mentioned his car tires. The police
investigated, but it ended up that no charges were filed.
Prior to the above events, one of Coopers invitations to speak were
from a German UFO groups. Cooper was invited by Michael Hesseman, a
German "New Age UFOlogist" to appear in Germany. Cooper had accepted,
and demanded 5000 Duetch Marks ( $3000 US ) plus his plane ticket,
room, board, and the other things that Hesseman had promised. Hesseman
sent Cooper all of the above, but because of a German Postal Strike,
word of the event was late in getting out in Europe. Cooper had
planned, according to Hesseman, in making money in "workshops" while
the UFO event was going on, and because the event would not be so well
attended, became upset.Hesseman offered to reschedule the event, or set
it up later, but Cooper refused, and then told Hesseman that if he
wanted him to come, he needed another 5000 Duetch marks, or he refused.
Hesseman did not have the money, so Cooper informed Hesseman that he
would not fly over, and then refused to refund Hessemans cash.
WHISTLEBLOWERS PART ONE SIDEBAR.
In his CAJI newsletter, Cooper stated that "No one likes to be a
fool, but most ufologists are exactly that. I keep saying to do
research, to investigate, but no one does it. They just sit around and
call each other names." This reporter, representing UFO Magazine,
attempted to contact Cooper to verify his claims by leaving a message
on his computer service.
Cooper read the message and called about an hour later. When I
answered the phone, Cooper growled, "What the hell do you want!?" When
I attempted to explain that I was doing a story for UFO and wanted to
verify his claims, he shot back, "What are you writing for your f***in'
trashzine?" I then said that I had received a copy of the CAJI
newsletter and he replied, "I would be very careful if I was you. That
newsletter is copyrighted."
Cooper then stated, "I don't trust you or anyone you are associated
with. " The only response I was able to get concerned the allegation
that Bob Lazar ran a speed lab. "John Lear told me that out of his own
mouth... I got the information from a man named Cory and Jeff who are
good friends of John Lear. "
Just at that moment the phone rang with the call waiting feature, and
Cooper refused to hold 'til I could find out who was calling. He
refused to speak any further and hung up. This seems out of character
for a person who claims that his information is legitimate.
As UFO Magazine was going to press, and as we expected, Cooper's
newest newsletter attacked this writer and the magazine. Cooper now
claims that Cory Testa was intimidated by UFO regarding the claims that
Bob Lazar is involved with drugs, and that UFO or myself or both are a
part of Cooper's paranoiac "secret government."
The absurdity of this speaks for itself. But for the record, UFO will
attempt to get Testa's version of this. Researching and accurately
reporting facts are not Cooper's strong suit.-D.E. And UFO MAGAZINE CO-
Publisher says...
There you have it. Don Ecker's article, documentary reports
researched and produced by George Knapp of KLAS-TV and what Cooper has
published in his CAJI newsletter are part of a growing information base
which should demonstrate why we have chosen not to give space to the
often false and specious claims that Cooper purveys.
It is not our intention to single out individuals and "pick on" them;
it's simply very important that the truth or the closest thing to it be
established. A close reading of our whistleblowers series, as it
progresses, will demonstrate that there are people in this field who
have set themselves up for examination and whose claims of truth are,
at best, cleverly-mouthed chunks of propaganda; some if not most will
be found wanting. Milton William Cooper has threatened, lied about and
attacked a number of people in the UFO field (I'm included, as is Don
Ecker). Along with slander and lying, he has a clear history of con
tradicting himself, backtracking when caught in those contradictions
and then attempting to patch up his story with a turnaround position
based on sudden new claims that, true to style, cannot be checked out.
A Bill Cooper could not maintain a foothold in any other field. Such
a bullying personality would have been "run out of town" long ago. But
the fact that this man and others like him still can command some
audience and are seen as having some veracity and authority denotes a
sore lack of discrimination on the part of many in the UFO arena, if
not outright foolishness.
But it should be likewise emphasized that this syndrome also
testifies to our collective frustration with the lies and secret
machinations of some powerful persons in the U.S. government,
cultivating many people's willingness to listen and 'follow just about
anyone who purports to be defending the Constitution and who vocally
demands accountability from the very government officials in whom we
should be able to place our trust.
It's so very important: Dedication to the absolute truth, to the
finer points of democracy, when exercised without caution and
discernment, plays right into the hands of those who would short
circuit those very precious qualities we hold dear. "Users" of all
political persuasions will exploit the emotional fervor of the crowd to
further their own selfish and inhumane ends. (Some names to remember:
Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, Joseph Stalin, Joe McCarthy.)
It's imperative that we and I include everyone who shares the vision
of UFO Magazine-short-circuit such perniciousness at its very core,
striking at the heart of demagoguery with persistent courage and
honesty.
Only personal commitment to humane and truthful ideals, and the
willingness to expose the truth, can successfully overcome The Big Lie.
UFO Magazine honors just such a commitment.
Vicki Cooper
IN DEFENSE OF THE FACTS
When I began to look at Cooper's UFO-related information, our pur
pose was to examine his claims and see how valid they were. This
endeavor started with Cooper's CAJI newsletter, and his claims that
people such as Bob Lazar, John Lear, Bill Moore and others were engaged
in various illegal or unethical acts.
But back in April and May of 1990, Lazar, for instance, had NO
criminal charges even pending. Apparently Lear was targeted by Cooper
only because he appeared on the George Knapp special and exposed some
of Cooper's bogus information over the air.
When UFO tried to contact Cooper, he immediately blew up. Sure
enough, before too long he launched a smear campaign against the
magazine and this writer. Cooper has even called the magazine and
threatened to sue unless we print a complete retraction of Part One,
published in UFO, Vol. 5, No. 4. Never a word that parts of the story
(in his opinion) are wrong, not a word that he wants his side told in
these pages. Instead, in his latest newsletter, Cooper has resorted
once more to smearing, innuendo and libel. He even engages in an in
credibly sophomoric, juvenile display by making scatological parodies
of my name, George Knapp's, and Vicki Cooper's.
I, for one, wiIl not be intimidated. UFO Magazine wilI continue to
report the truest facts available, and what is nice about reporting
facts is... they can be shown to everyone at any time.
What is really sad about this story is the fact that I agree with
much of what Cooper says when he is speaking about an erosion of
Constitutional civil liberties. There are bizarre things afoot in the
land, each day becomes more uncertain, and the public is simply not
being told the true facts. However, one thing about the First
Amendment, that although it guarantees freedom of speech, it does not
allow the screaming of fire (with no fire) in a crowded theater. Cooper
has been screaming fire on rainy days, and the problem with that is...
What do you do when a real fire starts? Just like the kid who always
cried wolf, no one came when the wolf finally showed up.
What it appears we are dealing with is demagoguery. Demagoguery in
any form, with people following blindly, is always a dangerous
development. Examine everyone's information, do not accept anything
without checking it to the extent you are able, and then check it again
from another angle, if possible.
UFO Magazine's opinion is that this field is fraught with enough
dangers; tread carefully while walking down this path.
During this investigation UFO Magazine has found that much of
Cooper's material is entirely fabricated, lifted from others'work, or
facts he's selected and twisted to support his own story. Several times
Cooper has told those who have disagreed with him or questioned his
information, "I will crucify you. . ." At what point will someone allow
a demagogue to intimidate him or her into silence? At what point will
truth be the final casualty in a war of words with liars?
I will report the truth as long as we publish, and if necessary
suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous slander. At some point the
public will learn that each demagogue DOES have his 15 minutes in the
sun, but then the public learns WHAT IS THE TRUTH.
Don Ecker